Story Walk thrills children, parents

Published: Friday, June 14, 2013 at 6:37 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 14, 2013 at 6:37 a.m.

Isabella Alverez twirled a ring pop in her mouth, but the treat couldn’t hide the smile on her face. Snuggled in her dad’s arms, the 4-year-old had just traveled the nearly quarter-mile walking trail around East Flat Rock Community Park, reading a “book” as she went.

As they made the walk, Benjamin Garcia and his daughter stopped every few feet to read book pages that had been laminated and put on stakes. The duo were participating in Henderson County’s first Story Walk for young children, organized by the Children and Family Resource Center.

The nonprofit partnered with the Henderson County Youth Council and Henderson County Parks and Recreation to come up with the event, which is intended to inspire literacy and wellness. The idea for story walks came from a parks system in Vermont, said Jolie Singletary, a parent educator for the center who organized the event.

As a drizzle dissipated Thursday afternoon, workers at the resource center hammered the stakes into the ground.

“The idea is we want to eventually get more-permanent structures,” Singletary said.

The visual she had in mind was something similar to historic sites, where documents are secured behind plexiglass. Different stories could be rotated in and out each quarter, she said.

On Thursday, the “Parents as Teachers” group read “Tea Rex” by Molly Idle. The book is about a boy and girl who are hosting a tea party and invite a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The book was recommended by Fountainhead Books in Hendersonville.

“We wanted something that would work for both boys and girls,” Singletary said. This book had both a tea party and a dinosaur, which made it applicable, she added.

Parents could read the book to their children in English or Spanish.

As Garcia walked around the park with his daughter, they laughed at the pages. Her favorite part is when the dinosaur tries to squeeze its way into the house for the tea party. The T-rex was way too big to get through the door, prompting a fit of laughter from Alverez.

The walk accomplished what the nonprofit had hoped it would.

“It was fun,” Garcia said. “I think it’s a good idea.”

Singletary is hoping other county residents think it’s a good idea.

“We’ve been talking about it for several months now, so we’re excited it’s up and running,” she said. “We feel like the vision we have for the story walk will take off.”

Henderson County is the perfect place for it to gain momentum, she said, adding that the goal is to expand to other area parks. The resource center is writing a grant in an effort to secure funding.

“Henderson County is just such a family-friendly place, so we thought this would be a good place for this,” Singletary said.

To help or donate to the resource center, visit www.childrenandfamily.org or call 828-698-0674.

<p>Isabella Alverez twirled a ring pop in her mouth, but the treat couldn't hide the smile on her face. Snuggled in her dad's arms, the 4-year-old had just traveled the nearly quarter-mile walking trail around East Flat Rock Community Park, reading a “book” as she went.</p><p>As they made the walk, Benjamin Garcia and his daughter stopped every few feet to read book pages that had been laminated and put on stakes. The duo were participating in Henderson County's first Story Walk for young children, organized by the Children and Family Resource Center.</p><p>The nonprofit partnered with the Henderson County Youth Council and Henderson County Parks and Recreation to come up with the event, which is intended to inspire literacy and wellness. The idea for story walks came from a parks system in Vermont, said Jolie Singletary, a parent educator for the center who organized the event.</p><p>As a drizzle dissipated Thursday afternoon, workers at the resource center hammered the stakes into the ground.</p><p>“The idea is we want to eventually get more-permanent structures,” Singletary said.</p><p>The visual she had in mind was something similar to historic sites, where documents are secured behind plexiglass. Different stories could be rotated in and out each quarter, she said.</p><p>On Thursday, the “Parents as Teachers” group read “Tea Rex” by Molly Idle. The book is about a boy and girl who are hosting a tea party and invite a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The book was recommended by Fountainhead Books in Hendersonville.</p><p>“We wanted something that would work for both boys and girls,” Singletary said. This book had both a tea party and a dinosaur, which made it applicable, she added.</p><p>Parents could read the book to their children in English or Spanish.</p><p>As Garcia walked around the park with his daughter, they laughed at the pages. Her favorite part is when the dinosaur tries to squeeze its way into the house for the tea party. The T-rex was way too big to get through the door, prompting a fit of laughter from Alverez. </p><p>The walk accomplished what the nonprofit had hoped it would. </p><p>“It was fun,” Garcia said. “I think it's a good idea.” </p><p>Singletary is hoping other county residents think it's a good idea. </p><p>“We've been talking about it for several months now, so we're excited it's up and running,” she said. “We feel like the vision we have for the story walk will take off.” </p><p>Henderson County is the perfect place for it to gain momentum, she said, adding that the goal is to expand to other area parks. The resource center is writing a grant in an effort to secure funding. </p><p>“Henderson County is just such a family-friendly place, so we thought this would be a good place for this,” Singletary said. </p><p>To help or donate to the resource center, visit www.childrenandfamily.org or call 828-698-0674.</p>